


The Pinelands

by Spoiler1001



Category: Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Blood Magic, Found Family, Gen, Hope, Platonic Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:14:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28020747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spoiler1001/pseuds/Spoiler1001
Summary: I used the dungeon and dragons formula to write a campaign. I roll for everything.  The plot?In a region that buried its history, a conspiracy is slowly being revealed.
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

The Pinelands was a country with a history that no one seemed to care to remember. It was once a proud land with many city-states, but pride overtook them and they betrayed each other, legging the skeletons of the buildings to rot. The society's fall gave way to people banding together under one country with a name. No one can remember the name, so they call it The Pinelands, just a network of communities. There were borders for the network, they weren't enforced, sure there were guards but creatures callosum through sometimes. It was extremely sandy and dry to the east and west, with mountains breaking the desert and leafing to a river in the south. The communities were settled on flatlands and forests. 

Inns and bars made plenty of money, due to constant traveling between communes. That also led to beer and spirit related mischief.

Dawn made her way by each empty cell, she was one of fiendish blood. Her eyes were solid black, harsh against her red skin. She wore her black hair in a bun, with bangs. She was wearing a dress made from hides, with the front of the skirt cut away, exposing pants underneath, while mimicking a long coat closed around the chest. She finally stopped in front of a cell with someone in it. 

"Hello there." She sighed. The man smiled. He was very tall for the cell, having to duck to not hit the ceiling. He had gray thick, curly hair. His eyes were bright, with white-gray irises. He wore dusty leather armor with brass trimming. 

"What exactly are you here for?" Dawn whispered to him. 

"He got busted for pickpocketing. Do keep your distance." A deep feminine voice rang out. Dawn turned to face a woman of similarly fiendish descent. Her horns grew close to her face, looping to form spirals over her cheeks. She wore thin chain mail armor, stopping above her knees. She had an obvious dagger stapled to her thigh, an axe strapped to her waist, along with a whip.

Her skin was a faded gray, almost blue or violet. Her eyes were solid gold. Her hair was a pixie cut. It was white, with no hints of curls. She had a friendly smile on her face. Fangs peeked over her bottom lip. 

Dawn looked back over the tall leather-clad man and took a step away from him. 

"Oh." 

"So what brings you here?" The other woman asked. 

"I was here to ask if the people doomed to the gallows have anything to confess. Maybe I can soothe their souls." Dawn whispered. 

"No one is due for that today." The man in the cell whispered.

"But it is a nice thing to do. I'm Merias." She shook Dawn's hand. 

Opening the cell, Merias gestured towards the tall guy. 

"Andrea. Pleased to meet you." He bowed in greeting. 

"I'm Dawn," The red tiefling nodded. 

"Well, it's lovely to meet you, Dawn. Andy and I have oranges to eat as payment for a job well done." Merias grinned and walked away. 

Andrea and Merias made their way to the inn where two yellow, not at all ripe oranges. 

"Wonderful." Merias scoffed, grabbing one of the fruits." 

"I mean I did get caught." Andrea sighed.

"But you grabbing the note from that guy's pocket stopped a poisoning." Merias pouted. 

"Which is why I had to only spend a night there." Andrea shrugged.

A moment of silence passed between the two. They peeled the fruit, causing the smell to feel the air. Purple looked over at them, jealousy running cold in their veins. They took a bite of the fruit, a second passed, then two. Merias spit it out, groaning. Andrea frowned at the flavor but kept eating. 

"My Jaw is hurting now." She complained, grabbing another slice. Andrea grabbed her hand. 

"Don't put yourself through this. We can put it in our water." He sighed.

"You say that now, but as soon as we're halfway to the next community…" Merias sighed. 

"That's it? You do a job and you're gone by the next day?" A voice rang out. The two of them liked over to see a half-elven guard. He had white hair and solid white eyes, showing off a Drow heritage, but so do a lot of people in the Pinelands. 

"That is how I can get paid. Do you have another job lined up for me?" She looked up at him. 

"Not me, but my captain. We're short-staffed and creatures are… leaking through the southern river. They're attacking the fish and fishermen." The guard looked at Merias. 

She just smirked and leaned forward. "And you want us to… what? Kill them?" She asked. 

"These kinds of creatures are your specialty." The guard scoffed. "For some reason, these things seem to fall to you more easily." 

"I got it. We'll take care of it." She nodded and the guard walked away. 

"I couldn't get a read on him." Andrea sighed. 

"He's bullshitting." Merias sighed. "I'll call our friend in the shadows." 

"Think she'll have something on the guard?" Andre raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe she can help us deal with the monsters. Invite that girl from jail. Maybe she'll want in as well." Merias ran her fingers over her hair. 

"Why me?" 

"You're charming and she seems lost right now." Merias shrugged. 

"I'll talk to Penny. You ask Dawn if she's interested in monster hunting." Andrea chuckled. 

"Alright. Maybe she'll find me charming." Merias sighed.

"Sounds like a plan." 

* * *

Dawn was at a bar, easing congealed wheat with spices in it. She was fiddling with a small metal object. It was engraved with a language of… somewhere. It was not of this region. 

"So, I'm leaving for the southern river. There are some monsters. Maybe you want to help?" Merias asked, appearing next to her. 

"What kind of monsters?" Dawn asked. 

"Probably undead." 

"That's one of the worst kinds." Dawn nodded. "Why me though?" 

"Because you seem like you have nowhere to go and it's safer to be in a group while figuring that out." Merias shrugged. 

"What do you get out of me joining your duo?" 

Merias laughed. "It's gonna be a whole team. I get someone new to travel with. You'll be great." 

"I could be a killer." 

"Not a dealbreaker." 

"And pay?" Dawn slipped her token back into her pocket. 

"Split evenly between all of us." Merias smiled. 

"One job to see how it works out, then we'll see." Dawn nodded. 

"Great. Pack your bags." Merias smile and walked away.

* * *

Andrea made his way to a dark alleyway. He was out of sight. There was a smell of smoke and bile in the air, making every breath burned. He could see very well, but there was something about the area. 

"Who do you want to laden about?" A low voice asked. It was rough, more rasp than voice. 

"Penny." Andrea smiled and turned around. 

Penny was thin with the skin tone of a cadaver. Her eyes were bright blue, seeming to glow against her skin tone. 

"Merias and I are building a team for-" 

"Ah… Hell beasts in the South." Penny smiled. It was a happy and excited smile. "I do want in." 

"That makes it seem like you're already packed." Andrea straightened his armor. 

"I am. I will see you when it's time to leave." Penny skipped back into the shadows.

"Oh. Alright then." Andrea nodded and went to pack.

* * *

Dawn looked down at her bag. She was ready to go. She played with her token. The wind blew despite no moving air. If she closed her eyes she could feel something run down her arm and wrap between her fingers. She opened her eyes and the air stilled. She took a deep breath and left the room.

* * *

Penny sat next to her bag, wrapping herself in furs. She felt off in the furs. They were warm, and that's what mattered. Maybe she'll try skins and leathers next. 

She stood up and made her way to the meeting point, her ear to the chatter around her.

* * *

Andrea read over his old school books. He missed teaching in that village. It was fulfilling to teach children how to spell and read. When the plague hit…

He strapped his weapons to himself. He was this now. Bounty hunting is something new. Maybe he can retire and teach again. 

He sighed… maybe this will be the last mission. He needed to retire anyway. He steadied himself for a moment, before leaving to meet the others to go. 

* * *

Merias put her best armor on. It shone brightly. She looked over her dagger. There was an engraving on it.  _ Overcoming _ . Merias smiled. The last thing her mother gave her. It was the last thing anyone gave her. 

Merits sheathed her blade. It was time to go. She stood up, taking a deep breath. She made her way to the group. The new adventure began.


	2. Chapter 2

The journey began on a horse-drawn cart. They traveled over many days of traveling through the western deserts. They avoided village after village to make their way to the leaking of creatures in the river. They could see sand as far as they could look, with greenhouses built on the outskirts of the deserts. The whole area smelled of salt and heat. 

Penny sat on the floor, her head resting on Andrea's knee. Dawn and Merias sat in the front, with Merias steering the horse. The air was dry, and dirt kicked up as they moved. As a result, they had to wear coverings over their nose and mouth. The dry air made Merias's white hair turn blond. The sun was setting a little behind him. 

"What part of the Pinelands are you from?" Merias asked. Dawn was quiet for a moment. Then two. 

"I'm from the East." She mumbled. 

"Oh. Cool. I'm from the northern communities." Merias smiled. Dawn just nodded. 

The weather started to grow more humid and warmer. The dirt stayed on the road. The greenery became alive. Grass gave way to bushes and trees. The two tieflings pulled off their face coverings. Shadows grew and darkness took the skies. Dawn smiled. This was her element. Her magic was strongest during the transitions between day and night.

"You look ready to fight." Merias nodded. "Get ready." 

Dawn nodded and pulled out several rods. Symbols flashed and the rods snapped together, forming a long metallic pole. the last light of the sun bounced off of the top of the pole. After a while, the light seemed to solidify into a rounded blade.

“Damn. That’s pretty cool.” Merias nodded. “Where did you get that?”

“Oh, a friend got it for me.” 

“Mighty good friend there.” Merias smiled.

“Yeah…” 

The sounds of the river rang out in the distance. 

“Everyone ready…” Merias called out. 

The group tied off the horses and walked towards the sound of the river. Penny seemed to duck down at the sound of water. Andrea pulled out his rapier and Penny pulled out her dagger. Her eyes were looking everywhere. Merias grabbed her battleax, running her finger over the blade, the red blood turning pink and cold, with frost coating the weapon. The group settled into silence, with Andrea slipping into the shadows. 

The whole group listened quietly. There were soft sounds, like soft stone scraping against the ground, and old meat slapping down. 

“Fuck!” Merias growled. “I hate these things.”

There three undead creatures, two skeletal, and one zombified. Penny hissed at the creatures. Dawn went first, placing a hand over her heart and mumbling a few words. The Glaive in her hands flashed. Then she smiled confidently. Merias blinked and for a moment she could see a figure wrapped around her. Then Dawn slashed at him. They yelped. 

Merias ran up to them. She swung at the Zombie, hacking into its neck. It refused to fall. A Skeleton swiped at her, his hands tangling in her chainmail shirt. The other one slashed at her neck. She bled a bit and hissed a swear in Infernal. Dawn blinked and looked at Merias for a moment. 

“They’re already dead, I don’t think that their bloodline matters at this point,” Dawn commented.

“Sorry, forgot you spoke Infernal.” Merias ducked down. 

“It's fine. Don't worry about trying to censor yourself on my behalf." Dawn nodded. 

Merias laughed. 

A rapier slashed through the skeleton that cut Merias. It was reduced to Ash. Andrea stepped into the light. 

Penny watched for a second and thought. Then she threw her dagger at the other skeleton. It landed right on the sternum.

“Nice hit, Pen!” Merias chuckled. Dawn nodded and mumbled a spell, grabbing onto the tip of Merias’s tail. Her wound healed instantly, but the blood was still there. Merias turned her attention towards the Zombie once more, slashing at it once more, severing the head from its body. The body crumbled.

“Gross!” Merias sighed. “I hate this part.” 

“It’s not over yet!” Andrea slashed at the last skeleton, turning it to dust. 

“This can’t be all of them,” Penny whispered. The scent of the undead made her want to vomit. 

“You’re right. So what will we do about this?” Dawn agreed. 

“There’s tracks over here. Some coal dust mixed in.” Merias nodded. 

She seemed to be fixated on the tracks. Merias followed them with ease, The others followed her with ease. They found themselves at the opening of a mine shaft. It was dusty with more evident trails. They had come from there, no doubt about it.

“I have a very stupid idea,” Merias whispered. “Penny, Dawn…Follow me. Andrea, keep watch.”

Merias took a step into the mine, in near pitch darkness. Penny looked around. 

“I don’t like it here,” Penny grumbled. Merias responded by running her fingers through Penny’s hair, in an attempt to comfort her. 

“Ok, I’ll bite. What’s a very stupid idea?” Dawn asked.

“We use Thaumaturgy to collapse the mine in the back, have Penny use her magic to pull us back, and then we run.” Merias covered her face in her hands. 

“I’m not saying no, but tell you what, I’ll call in a favor, see if we can pull this off,” Dawn replied. 

“I’m down for this,” Penny spoke. 

Dawn took a deep breath and felt magic flow through her at the very thought of her prayer being answered. She felt arms wrap around her in an embrace, could feel a lighthearted chuckle in her chest. She felt something settle in her stomach. She could do this. 

“I’m ready to do this.” Dawn nodded, magic tingling in her fingertips. Merias nodded. 

“You’re tearing up,” Merias noted. 

“I’m fine. It’s ok.” Dawn nodded. “Where do we want to do it.”

Merias nodded and kept walking. They walked deeper into the mines. They found a wide room, full of piles of clothes, and on the opposite side was a pathway deeper into the area, but it was closed off with a cave in. Penny stayed close to where they entered, her spell glowing green in her hand. Dawn and Merias walked towards the center of the room. Something glowed at their feet. Dawn pocketed it and took a deep breath, steadying herself. 

The two of them pulled their magic from the base of their souls. The spell forced air through their throats, causing chirps to release from them. 

The two heartbeats synced up. The rush of magic built up and shot down into the ground. There was a rumble for a minute, then complete stillness. There were groans from the ground.

"We need to move," Dawn yelled out. Penny reached out and the two tieflings were snatched and yanked back. They landed on their feet and ran towards the entrance of the mine. The ceiling crashed to the ground behind them. It wasn't close enough to even come close to hurting them. 

The three of them made their way out easily. The mine entrance as a whole came to be swallowed by the Earth. Merias took a deep breath.

"Hell of a favor," she chuckled. "Let's go check on the town, see if that's the only part with the undead." 

They made their way back to their horse and cart, the humidity in the air causing all the dirt to cling to them. Penny's hair was clinging to her face, leading Andrea to rip some of his rope away to tie it back. 

The horse was being fed and pet by the guards. Most looked tired and their armor was dented. Their faces bore bruises and bloodied cuts. One of them had armor that seemed to sparkle and glow in the light. That gusseted had long white hair with light lavender skin. He had dark gray rites with all too white, borderline blue outer rings around the iris. He was young, but not so young that he would avoid battle. 

"You're looking good for the aftermath of a zombie attack." Merias snapped.

"Merias. You look…" the young man sighed. "The previous captain spoke highly of you and your abilities." 

"And where is the previous captain?" Merias’s tone was sharp. 

"He fell to the other hole in our border. I am a new addition." The Captain sighed. A moment passed in silence. 

"I see. Shame." Merias sighed. "Well then, if that's it, We're done. Hands off the horse." 

Merias went to grab the reins of the horse but the captain grabbed her wrist. "One more thing. There is a wizard. He used to be from a rich family." 

"And he's still alive?" Andrea scoffed. 

"It's not that hard to escape a mob if you know how to," Penny whispered. 

"Exactly. So we need magic, there's something about people who live outside the network." The captain nodded. 

"Can't you learn magic? I did." Merias asked, tugging her hand away. 

"We need magic immediately. No time." The captain snapped. 

"Well then, I hate to inform you, but I can't help you, kindly fuck off." Merias bared her teeth in a faux smile. She walked away, the group trailing behind her. 

"You're going after him, aren't you," Andrea asked, his voice comforting. 

"Am I that easy to read?" Merias winced. "You don't have to follow me."

"I have nothing else planned," Penny said.

"My one mission isn't over." Dawn grinned. 

"I'm not leaving you stranded." Andrea placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"Let's find us a wizard."


End file.
